ksadler: Its good that chessgames.com gives the people what they want (since the discussion in the Kibitzer's Cafe has been around 1. c4 c6 and the like). My suggestion 2. Nc3 d5 and go from there will a good game for Black.

An Englishman: Good Evening: This might sound peculiar coming from a Caro-Kann fan, but as White vs. 1...c6, I always transposed into the Panov-Botvinnik, the only opening I enjoyed playing from either side.

Mating Net: As a staunch 1.c4 player, I really like White's game when Black replies 1...c6. Typically Black is aiming for a Slav Defense to the QGD which is solid enough if Black plays 2.d4.

However, Black opens himself up to the Panov Botvinnik attack, where I feel White has a solid, albeit small, advantage right out of the starting blocks. The IQP position gives White dynamic chances and, in my mind, cosses up Black's opening plans.

Silman: <Mating Net> I have just switched within the last week to the English Opening after years of playing 1.d4, 2.c4, followed by more years of playing Quens Pawn systems. So comments like your last post I find very useful. I look forward to finding simillar comments from A10 through to A39!! I also notice we both play the Dutch & just wondered what you played against 1.e4,?

Mating Net: <Silman> Glad to hear you found my comment useful! I don't know if I have anything constructive to offer on A10-A39, but you'll hear from me if I do.

I like to play Alekhine's Defense, 1...Nf6 & the 3...d6 Scandinavian vs. 1.e4. I have game collections for all listed in my profile.

Any particular reason you switched to 1.c4 after so many years with 1.d4? I'm curious because the 1.d4 players I know are pretty fanatical in their devotion to their opening system and always snicker a bit when I play the English.

<Silman> If you choose to respond, please do so in my forum as we are touching on several non English topics.

BOGGLED: I recently noticed while preparing for a tournament game that my next opponent played c6 against everything (!) I am a regular e4 player, but DO NOT SEE THE CARO KANN VERY OFTEN.

My thoughts went like this: If you play c6 against 1.e4, 1.d4, and 1.c4 - you will be seeing a LOT of Panov Attacks (which is what I play)! I immediately started searching for a way to avoid this and came up with 1.c4,c6 2.g3,d5 3.Bg2 and following up with Nf3 leaving c4 as a pawn sacrifice, if black should decide to accept. Wondering if anyone has an opinion on this? I won the game but, it wasn't due to the opening (my intention in the first place). The conclusion that I have to make is that c6 universal is a good way to book up on a lot of transpositions!

the pawn sac is well known and, in fact, is part of the repertoire advocated by GM Mihail Marin in his recent 3 volume work on the English Opening (published by <Quality Chess>). A good place to start looking!

BOGGLED: <SimonWebbsTiger> and <HSOL> - Thanks for the responses! Maybe I'll figure out which Marin book deals with the pawn sac lines (a three vol. set sounds daunting). I think in the game I did end up transposing to some kind of Catalan, oh well just really trying not to bite off more than I can chew and avoid the main-lines as much as possible. With tournament games often recorded on club websites, I prefer being a moving target.

Marin looks at the pawn sac in his 2nd volume (nr.4 in the Grandmaster Repertoire series by Quality Chess).

1...c6 is a decent response, btw, if you like: the Caro-Kann, Slav QGDs and the Lasker/Capablanca system versus the English or Reti!

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